closed-door meeting. the senators were infuriated after rice called the assault that killed chris stevens and three other americans spontaneous and linked to a protest over a youtube video. she'll be joined by acting cia director mike morrell. the meeting could serve as a real test whether rice would still be in for a fight over her possible nomination as secretary of state. elsewhere on capitol hill, it's back to the bargaining table for lawmakers facing a year-end fiscal cliff. yesterday the white house took a hard line insisting tax rates have to rise on the rich. and warning that any more delay on a deal could ruin consumer confidence and hurt-day retail sales. nbc's tracie potts joins us from washington with all of those details. tracie, good morning to you. >> reporter: hi, lynn. good morning, everyone. as we track negotiations over the next few weeks, keep in mind that the key sticking point seems to be how do you get people who earn over $250,000 to

contribute more? limit their deductions? close loopholes? or raise their tax rates? today president obama meets with small business leaders continuing his push for higher taxes for the wealthy. a new white house economic report warns if tax breaks go away, the average middle-class family will owe uncle sam another $2,200 next year. >> it seems to be the thing that we can all agree on, that middle-class families should see an extension of these tax cuts. >> reporter: some prominent republicans who have been dead set against raising taxes on anyone now hint they may consider other options. >> we've been open to revenue by closing loopholes as long as it's tied to spending cuts and pro-growth tax reform that brudens the base and lowers rates. >> you don't raise rates, you just cap the amount of itemized deductions that taxpayers -- it hits the wealthy. >> reporter: the bottom line, republicans say americans borrowing too much money trying to keep medicare and social

security afloat. lawmakers with the fix-the-debt coalition meet here tomorrow. >> there's going to come a point in time where we can't borrow any more money, and interest rates are going to skyrocket. >> this congress is already one vote away from avoiding the fiscal cliff. >> reporter: one vote with key players still far from agreement. no word yet on when the next white house meeting might take place. lynn? >> tracie potts for us in washington, thanks. last night on "hardball," republican senator tom coburn told chris matthews about his vision for averting the fiscal cliff. take a listen. >> there's no question we can have the rich pay more, but that won't solve our problem. >> i agree. >> and with that comes negatives. the real problem is is you've got an entitlement system that's out of whack, and the demographics are exaggerating that. and you've had discretionary spending increases, you know, the budget of this country this year is twice what it was 11 years ago. and a good portion of that is discretionary. some of it, $100 billion a year is the war, but the rest of the

government has grown. so we have to do both. and we have to make sure that whatever we do does not hurt us but gets us on the way to recovery. >> be sure to watch "hardball" with chris matthews weekdays at 5:00 and 7:00 eastern only on msnbc, the place for politics. in authorities in cairo are bracing for more protests as outrage grows as morsi's decision to grant himself sweeping new powers. nbc's ayman moyheldin joins us with the latest. ayman, good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning. authorities are bracing for what could be the fifth day of violent clashes erupting between those who oppose president morsi and those who support him. now, over the past several days, we've seen some intense clashes. many of those protesters targeting the offices of the freedom and justice party, the organization that president mohamed morsi is politically

affiliated with. now, the anger stems from the decree that president morsi issued. that degree gave him the ability to legislate powers without any type of judicial review. the president says you have to take those measures because egypt's judiciary is full of remnants of the old regime and pro-mubarak-appointed judges. that's why according to him there's a slow transition to democracy. the other opponents of this decree are saying that president morsi is doing nothing than simply grabbing more power and reverting the country to dictatorship. human rights organizations have expressed great concern. there was, however, some indication the situation can be resolved politically. late last night president morsi met with the country's top judges, and they agreed to narrowly define the scope of how he uses this decree. but on the streets today, millions are expected, at least tens of thousands are expected to show up in tahrir square, a protest has been canceled to avoid any possible clashes. lynn? >> ayman live for us in cairo, thank you so much. well, back here at home, new york governor andrew cuomo calls

superstorm sandy more impactful than hurricane katrina. now both new york and new jersey are asking for a combined total of more than $71 billion in federal aid. in new york, the money would pay not only for cleanup and recovery, it would also be used to try and limit damage for future storms. new jersey which saw heavy damage to its transit system and shoreline suffered nearly $30 billion in losses. meanwhile, new jersey governor christie has now filed papers seeking re-election. and now for a look at your national weather, let's turn to nbc meteorologist bill karins. he's tracking that weather channel forecast. good morning to you, bill. >> sensitive topic when you start comparing storms to katrina and all these. >> it does. >> it's like any big event. >> absolutely. >> yeah, over 1,000 people died and monetarily there's issued. every storm is different as we learned with sandy and all the other big hurricanes that have hit this country. we're not dealing with anything too bad today.

if you have travel plans on the east coast, pay attention because as you go to work, no issues. but as you come home, you could be doing it in the snow in a few spots. we're going to watch temperatures closely because notice how cold it is up there in albany, hartford and boston. in any snow does fall, it probably wouldn't accumulate on the pavement. still hovering around 40. so whatever falls should melt throughout the morning and especially during the afternoon. here's the winter radar. this is our little weak storm. the white shows you where the snow is. the pink is the mix. and then where we show you the green, that's where the rain is. washington, d.c., starting heavier echoes. this is probably hitting the ground, maybe a little sleet mixed in, too, western maryland. as this all translates this afternoon right over the top of the philadelphia to new york city area, that's where we could see minor accumulations. we're not talking a lot. the cities themselves, probably the roads will be fine, on the cars and the grass, maybe an inch or two. north and west of philadelphia, pennsylvania, northwest jersey could get from two to three

inches. southern new england could pick up an inch or two and that could even accumulate on the roads. the airports could have minor issues as that falls from the sky. also down in the southeast, lynn, the other travel spot today, a lot of thunderstorms rolling through louisiana, mississippi and alabama. we'll track it all for you. i'll give you an update a little later. >> thanks so much. a mystery in ramallah as the remains of former palestinian leader yasir arafat are exhumed. plus, a photo of what could be the world's most infamous iceberg goes under the hammer. your headlines are straight ahead. you're watching "first look" on msnbc. [ male announcer ] it's that time of year again.

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well, some stories making news this morning, the remains of palestinian leader yasir arafat were exhumed today from his mausoleum in the west bank. international forensic experts will check for traces of poison after a swiss institute earlier this year claimed it had discovered high levels of a radioactive material on his clothing. in norway, authorities released a video of a van parked at a government building in oslo just before it exploded in july

2011, killing eight people. convicted mass murderer anders breivik is currently serving a maximum sentence of 21 years. a minnesota man has been charged with murdering two teenagers who broke into his house thanksgiving day. byron david smith has admitted to shooting them more times than needed. former space shuttle commander scott kelly and russian cosmonaut will spend an entire year aboard the international space station. this will begin in 2015. their mission is going to be to produce medical information about the effects of long space flights like a trip to mars. and this rare photograph of the iceberg suspected of sinking the "titanic" in 1912 will be auctioned off next month. the photo taken two days before the sinking is very similar to sketches made by "titanic" crew members. it could sell for up to $10,000. and now here's your first look at this morning's dish of

"scrambled politics." grover norquist as an unusual way of describing republicans who might abandon his anti-tax pledge to avoid the fiscal cliff. >> no pledge taker has voted for a tax increase. they've had some people discussing impure thoughts on national television. we would certainly highlight who has kept their commitment and who hasn't. >> well, things got personal between senate majority leader harry immediate and minority leader mitch mcconnell yesterday. mcconnell is angry about reid's plan to end filibusters on so-called motions to proceed done before any final debate. >> shutting off our right to express the views of our constituents as is being proposed would effectively shut these people out of the process. he will break the rules of the senate in order to change the rules of the senate. >> americans believe congress is broken. once again, the only ones who disagree with mitch mcconnell

and republicans in congress. another senator, dianne feinstein of california, set an election-day record after receiving the most votes ever for a u.s. senator. nearly 7.3 million. well, will rick santorum run again in 2016? he tells "the weekly standard" he's, quote, open to it. former president jimmy carter now 88 years old is back in haiti to help rebuild 100 new homes after the devastating earthquake there. it is his second trip there in the past year. and finally, "politico" reports jill kelley, the supporting character in the petraeus scandal, has been stripped of her title as an honorary consul for south korea. she was using the title for personal gain, and that means she won't be able to make calls like this anymore. >> i am an honorary consul-general, so i have inviolability. i don't know if you want to get diplomatic protection involved

as well. >> and that's your morning dish of "scrambled politics." now for a tuesday morning check on wall street. the dow closed at 12,967 after falling 42 points yesterday. the s&p lost 2, but the nasdaq gained 9. in overseas trading, the nikkei added 34 points, but the hang seng was down 17. well, cyber monday figures are still being tallied, but according to at least one estimate, online sales were up 26% by noon yesterday. and all that wheeling and dealing sent ebay to a seven-year high while rival amazon also rose. tracking firm comscore estimates americans have spent nearly $14 billion online so far this holiday season. meanwhile, the retail sector suffered from what could be worries that lower prices will hurt their bottom lines in the long run. but optimism gaves stocks a boost.

elsewhere in brussels, dairy farmers descended on the europe p european parliament, and they sprayed fresh gallons of milk in a protest on what they call excessive quotas. back here at home, the fda has halted operations of the nation's largest organic peanut butter processor. regulators used a 2011 food safety law for the first time to crack down on salmonella poisoning. claiming the company sunland has sickened 41 people. so did you see this message on your facebook news feed yesterday? a lot of us did. it threatened that if you don't repost it, you will be giving up rights to your content, all because the social network is now a publicly traded company. well, the chain-letter status has been debunked as a hoax. and in other fake news, wireless hotspot provider icoa says a story published yesterday by the associated press and several highly regarded tech blogs claiming it had been acquired by google was false. straight ahead on "first

look," hot hawaiian lava hits the pacific, and a time capsule of toys from generations gone by. plus, knicks star carmelo anthony needs a little luck now and then. we'll show you whether he got it. sports is straight ahead. you're watching "first look" on msnbc. and over again. ♪ from jammin' jerk chicken, to creamy gouda bisque. see what's new from campbell's. it's amazing what soup can do.

well, here's your first look at some of the other news going on around america today. hawaii's big island is buzzing with excitement over this orange glow oozing from the kilauea volcano. tourists are rushing to the best

locations to watch the eruption of still billowing from the collision of lava and sea water. it's the first time lava has reached the pacific ocean this year. next to florida where a water cooler kept a fisherman from drowning. that man stay add float for some seven hours after a large wave capsized the boat carrying him and his brother during a fishing trip. his brother was able to swim ashore, but the man clung to the lid until rescue crews arrived to pull him out. a cleanup effort at one georgia school uncovered a classic collection of toys and books. staff at bethesda elementary discovered the rare find in the school's basement, and the principal now plans to preserve the antique items and display them for students. and finally, it's beginning to look a lot like christmas in washington, d.c., as the official u.s. capitol tree has arrived. she's a beauty, too. the 73-foot spruce from colorado was hoisted on the capitol's west lawn. the tree will be decorated for its official lighting ceremony on december 4th. a little sports now.

"monday night football," panthers and eagles. carolina's quarterback, cam newton, ran for two short-yardage touchdowns and passed for 2 more to give the panthers their third win of the season, 30-22 over philadelphia. in the nba, milwaukee went into chicago and were trailing badly, but the bucks rallied to take the lead in the fourth quarter and completed the comeback, edging the bulls 93-91. in brooklyn, they look familiar. part owner jay-z and beyonce were on hand for the first game in the new barclays center. 38-year-old jerry stackhouse of the nets led in overtime to a 96-89 win over new york. but this was the play of the day. knicks' carmelo anthony made the shot of the night as his jump shot hit the rim, bounced to the top of the backboard and then right through the hoop. for one very lucky three-point shot. that smile, it looks like he knows. now for another look at the weather, here's nbc meteorologist bill karins with the weather channel forecast. he'll take it.

>> that was the makeup game. that was supposed to be played two days after sandy hit. >> i knew that. >> they had to cancel it. i know you know that. much anticipated and it delivered. great game last night. here's what we're dealing weatherwise. get ready for a little rain, a little snow mix. the big cities of new england down through the mid-atlantic, d.c. just rain for you. philly should start off as a little rain changing over to snow. new york city most likely will see primarily snow from this. and it should begin in the new york city area close to 10:00 or 11:00 this morning. philadelphia, an hour or two earlier than that. most people will get to work, to school safely and then it will get some of the accumulations during the day. people will drive home especially if you're in the suburbs and any elevations, you may get slippery roads. the major highways will be fine. not a big snow event. not calling for a lot of snow. the highlight north and west of philadelphia in this whiter shade. that's where we could possibly get three to four inches of snow. southeast portions of pennsylvania, maybe higher elevations headed up along the delaware wear near the poconos.

and then southern new england, the moisture stays mostly south. maybe an inch around new haven to hartford, boston towards the cape, again, just a little coating for you. the rest of the country, the big chill continues. temperatures aren't as bad as yesterday. especially around fargo and minneapolis. but windchills in the teens cover a good chunk of the country this morning. and it's chilly all the way down to dallas with 35 as your windchill. it's cold in the midwest but dry and sunny. we've got rain sliding through louisiana, mississippi and alabama. but that storm on the east coast will be gone by tomorrow. and everyone clears out. then we focus our attention to a big storm for the west coast. >> all right, bill, thanks. well, just ahead, another "two and a half men" calamity and brad pitt defends his chanel ad. plus, the celebrity reviews are in for lindsay lohan's elizabeth taylor. bill says they were great. the reviews, not so much. you're watching "first look" on msnbc. arts with adding a friend... ♪

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welcome back, everyone. yet another "two and a half men" star is speaking out against the show. angus t. jones, he's growing up, look how big he is, recently made scathing comments about the program during a videotaped religious testimonial. he is a seventh day adventist who earns about $350,000 per episode. don't bite the hand that feeds you, huh? he told viewers to stop watching the show saying it's filth and that he doesn't even want to be on it. >> he won't accept the royalties for the next ten years? halle berry's ex-boyfriend, gabriel aubry, now claims the actress's fiance threatened to kill his during a thanksgiving day brawl.

>> almost did. >> look at that. ouch! shocking videos emerged showing aubrey's injuries and we now learned he's been granted a restraining order against martinez. have you seen the "liz and dick" movie? >> not yet. i'm waiting for a spesh occasion. >> maybe soon. reactions to lindsay lohan's role have been almost uniformly negleative negative. they're rough. >> joan rivers tweeted lindsay lohan's probation will be revoked after playing taylor. however, lady gaga loved lohan's performance. >> gaga and i are on the same page. >> she tweeted much needed support. hop there on twitter so you can back her up. finally, brad pitt is defending his infamous chanel number 5 commercials. you can't even tell which one's which, right? they look exactly alike.

>> don't defend it. just let it breathe. let it go. >> he's looking at his paycheck not too concerned whether or not people are not liking it. i'm lynn berry. this is "first look." stay tuned. "way too early" starts right now. good morning. i'm mika brzezinski here with joe scarborough, and this is "way too early." thanks for being up with us this morning. we have a lot to talk about on this tuesday, november 27th, including some embarrassing new poll numbers on how the public views the partisan behavior in washington. plus, the muslim brotherhood tries to hold off a potentially explosive situation in cairo where egypt's president is testing the limits on absolute power. we're going to have all the details right here. but first, let's get to the news. live at 5:30 a.m. here at 30 rock in new york city. >> or 2:30 on the west coast. >> three weeks after his

re-election, the majority of americans approve of the job president obama is doing in office at 52%. it is the highest approval marks the president has received from the cnn/orc survey since may. the majority of people say his experience over the past four years will make him a better president in the second term. there is measured optimism, however, about the future. 56% believe the country will be better off four years from now. compare that to four years ago when 76% felt that way. and governor chris christie also getting great numbers for his second-term run. the republican governor filed paperwork yesterday for re-election. christie currently enjoys record high approval ratings following his hands-on approach to hurricane sandy. now, before the storm, 56% of registered voters in the garden state approved of the job that he is doing. after sandy, those same voters were surveyed again, gave chris a 77% approval rating. >> nice. >> that's j